As a novice camper, choosing the right camp site for me was a hard task. With so many to choose from in the UK, we decided to narrow our search down by choosing The Peak District.

An hour and a half journey from Manchester (quicker on a good day!) with stunning scenery that we take for granted. With three children split over two families, we needed to choose somewhere family friendly and was flat-ish in order to pitch the tents.

Greeted by the farm owner Liz, together with her husband they made the perfect team and were super lovely. If you needed to know where to go, which takeaway to order from or required your phone to be charged, they were on hand to help!

So how did the site tick our boxes…

Keeping the kids entertained…

A fabulous wooden play park which was quiet on the Thursday but rammed on the weekend! All the kids had fun, with a wood chip flooring, there were no accidents. All the kids were safe, meaning parents could relax, kick back and enjoy being out in the great outdoors.

How did the land lie?

With three separate fields (1 x electric hook up, 2 x no electric) to choose from, arriving on a Thursday afternoon meant that we had dibs on where to pitch as the site was relatively quiet. As to be expected, the fields were not entirely flat, however this did not pose a problem at all. We chose a corner section and struggled to decide which way to point the tents as we were surrounded by stunning countryside from all corners! The camp site did fill out at the weekend and we were able to people watch to our hearts content!

What about keeping clean?

With purpose built toilet blocks which were regularly cleaned, it was easy to keep clean yourself. Showers are £1 for 5 minutes and I still do believe that I spent the best £3 of my life on the Friday when I enjoyed a hot, powerful 15 minute shower – the Simba mane returned and all was well again with the world! There are washing up areas for cleaning your pots out and lots of drinking water outlets.

What about keeping food and more importantly drink cool?

Easy! There are several fridge and freezers based around the campsite – even one in Reception, which we decided to use to freeze our cocktails. It was the weekend of the first England World Cup match so the fridges were filled with beer. We found a local fish and chip shop so did not cook as much as expected, though clearly did use the bacon for breakfasts! If you found yourself running low on gas, there was a nearby site that you could refill at. If you found yourself low on butter (as we did!) the well stocked shop on site offers a wide range of products, including bacon!

Enjoying the local village!

How much was staying at the site going to dent my pocket?

Not as much as you would expect, considering the location and all the facilities available! Heather and I had calculated the cost of staying at most sites in the area and found Middlehills Farm to be very reasonable. Clearly after our stay we found the price to be a bargain for the amazing time we had!

Adult: £7 per person per night

Children (4-16) £4 per child per night

Under 4′s are free

EHU: £4 per night.

Dogs: Dogs are allowed on site free of charge, as long as they are kept on a lead.

Awww thank you Carly!! Honestly the site is wonderful! It was the perfect choice for me to dip my toes into camping… without electricity!!
The site is great if you want a base so you can go rambling during the day – it was so peaceful and surrounded by amazing scenery!

I could not agree more! The camp site owners certainly took care and looked after everything making sure all was clean! I did not have any hair straighteners so think I did scare a few people on the walk back to the tent 😉

my OH wants us to start camping for a holiday with the boys, so it is interesting to read about other peoples experiences. I would love to visit the Peak District one day as it looks to be such a beautiful part of the country.
very informative post x

I was dubious at first and amazed at how much you need to take with you – but once there it was absolute bliss!! Being stuck in the middle of nowhere, in a field, the kids were happy and so were we when we had drinks in hand! Perfect family holidays!

Wow, what a gorgeous campsite! I’ve never seen one with play equipment that good, and the fields look so well maintained. We camp every year with friends and are always on the lookout for a great new site. I love the Peak District too, so we’ll have to try and convince everyone else to make the drive 🙂

I really wish I could convince Mr Boo to go camping, maybe I’ll just take the kiddies without him. I loved camping as a youngster and this site looks idyllic especially the play area, I might just need to pitch my tent next to that.

Thanks for this – we have only been camping once and the shower block was included in the price, so it is something I need to consider when choosing a campsite. Sounds like you had a lovely time and it was a great place to stay.